In every inshore pros tackle bag is a well stocked supply of spoons because this “old skool” bait always produces plenty of hook-ups when the fish are scattered across the flats or marsh. Not only is the spoon a fantastic locater bait for pros and guides… but it’s also easy to use and novice anglers have a great deal of success with them. In fact, I frequently have clients casting spoons when they first start booking Flats Class trips with me to ensure a bent rod and to instill confidence in artificial baits!
Versatility and ease of use is why the spoon is so highly regarded. Spoons can be used for covering acres of water efficiently, they expand the strike zone on overcast and/or windy days, are excellent in all water clarities (clear, turbid, tannin), and perfect for grassy areas where jigs and hard baits often foul with weedy debris. The retrieve ninety percent of the time with a spoon is just a slow steady roll (straight cranking) after a long cast. Occasionally, on deeper flats I’ll flutter and stall the spoon then slow roll to keep it relatively close to the bottom… I’ve even vertically slow jigged spoons in channels and residential canals for speckled & silver trout during the cooler months!
As a touring redfish pro, I’ve always preferred the willow blade profile spoons over the common tear-drop design, simply because willow blade spoons rarely tongue hook redfish; and many tongue hooked redfish often bleed out and die. The willow blade profile also gives the spoon a more life-like appearance and swimming motion… very important when fishing angler pressured waters. My personal spoon rig set-up… is a 7’6” medium action rod with an extra fast tip, a Daiwa Fuego 3000A spinning reel, 10lb. to 20lb. braided line, 20lb. fluorocarbon leader, and a small high quality swivel connected directly to the spoon’s split ring! This set-up allows for super long casts with a rod and reel combo that can easily drive the hook home yet is light weight enough to make a couple of hundred casts in a day without fatiguing the angler in the least.
When it comes to spoon selection, I only use the Aqua Dream Spoon line-up because of the high quality stainless steel components (hook, screw, wire, & split ring), its slow sink rate, and multiple color options for all water clarities. The AD black nickel ¼ oz. spoon is my all-around favorite color for clear water and dark bottoms… whereas the chartreuse spoon produces well in off-color water and low-light conditions. The AD pink spoon is unusual but the one I prefer for vertically jigging in the cooler months for trout in the canals… and believe it or not, I’ve even caught my share of pompano on it as well! Of course, the standard gold and bright nickel/red head models are extremely popular with most anglers… especially when rolling it through concentrations of mullet or dense pogy schools for redfish.
So quit looking for the next latest & greatest fishing lure and tie on the trusty spoon. Over time you’ll realize… why the pros prefer spoons!
Keep’em Bent!
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Add a rattling eye and you have increase your chances two folds,
used the green one yesterday and had a blast.
So you actually add the swivel directly to the spoon? Any particular swivel?
The Sampo or Spro brands… make reliable swivels.
As long as you stop your spoon every once in awhile, and let your line unwind you do not need a swivel. Stopping the spoon actually adds alittle more action to your spoon. Alot of times I will get hits when the spoon is sitting there.
Use the johnson sprite and there is no need for a swivel. It wobbles instead of spins and it rapes the fish